Contributors: Cora McCann and othersINTRODUCTIONRecords portraying evolution of The University of Tennessee, Knoxville Department of Agricultural Engineering began in 1916. This historical account is an effort to record major events pertaining to formation and growth of the Department. To enhance understanding of the evolutionary process, and to facilitate later inclusion of inadvertently omitted items, events are arranged chronologically. Sources of information include:
CHRONOLOGY1916According to the June 8, 1967 edition of the Knoxville News-Sentinel, Mr. Tom H. Troxel, a Scott County surveyor, scholar, and 5/8th AsQuaw Indian, spent four years at UT studying agricultural engineering before World War I. However, University Announcements, which listed names of all students in those years, did not include that name. Statement under RURAL ENGINEERING in 1916-17 Announcements: "The courses outlined below are given in the Engineering Department but are planned to meet the needs of students in agriculture. They are elective in the Junior and Senior year." (5) Forging, (6) Woodworking, (7) Land Surveying, (8) Farm Mechanics (the application of engineering to farm life. The course includes study of the steam engine and boiler, gasoline engines, the transmission of power, development of small water power, means of securing running water for the house, electric lighting, house-wiring, dynamos, sanitation). Agricultural Surveying offered in Civil Engineering. 1917 RURAL ENGINEERING not one of 4 Engineering Departments listed. College of Agriculture listed Engineering electives as: Farm Mechanics, Forge Shop, Surveying, and Wood Shop. 1918 RURAL ENGINEERING appeared as in 1916. Surveying and Farm Mechanics required in College of Agriculture (Agricultural Education and Horticulture). 1919 AGRICULTURAL ENGINEERING "This group is not offered in 1920-21." 1923 (Same as 1919). 1924 1. Under RURAL ENGINEERING Professor ------. Course listing similar to traditional: Elementary Surveying, Forge and Wood Shop, Farm Structures, Concrete Construction, Land Drainage and Surveying, Farm Power Engineering. 2. In College of Agriculture: AGRICULTURAL ENGINEERING Not offered, 1925-26 1925-26 First reference to Agricultural Engineering as a Department of Instruction in The University of Tennessee Register (Catalog) One Agricultural Engineering freshman in College of Engineering. 1926 1. In College of Agriculture: AGRICULTURAL ENGINEERING See Engineering curricula. 2. College of Engineering AGRICULTURAL ENGINEERING Instructor: Frank D. Jones, B.S. in A. The College of Engineering, cooperating with the College of Agriculture, offers a four-year curriculum leading to the B. S. Degree in Agricultural Engineering. The curriculum is primarily engineering but contains enough work in agriculture to give a proper background for the engineers who wish to do their work in rural communities. Laboratories and shops are equipped to give instruction of special value to students registered for Agricultural Engineering and also to other students of Agriculture who may elect courses in Agricultural Engineering. 1927 Harold A. Arnold, B.S., Instructor in Agricultural Engineering 1928 In The Univ. of Tenn. Agricultural Experiment Sta. Annual Reports: "Pulverizing Limestone on the Farm." F. D. Jones. Tests conducted by the Engineering Experiment Station in cooperation with the Agricultural Experiment Station. 1931 One Agricultural Engineering freshman in College of Engineering. 1932 One Agricultural Engineering freshman in College of Engineering. 1933 One Agricultural Engineering sophomore in College of Engineering. 1935 Andy T. Hendrix, B.S., M.S., Asst. Prof. of Agricultural Engineering (College of Engineering). Twelve courses listed in Announcements. Agricultural Extension Service Annual Report shows Rural Engineering Department.
1936 James C. Hundley listed (named) as junior in Agricultural Engineering. Freshmen were: Barry R. Cecil, John E. Martin, George R. Woodruff. 1937 Marlay A. Sharp, B.S., M.S., Head of Department. Faculty: Andy T. Hendrix, B.S.M.E., B.S.E.E., M.S.M.E.; Earle K. Rambo. James C. Hundley awarded B.S. Degree in Agricultural Engineering. Agricultural Engineering courses taught in Morgan Hall. Three-story frame dairy barn constructed in 1899 converted to house Agricultural Engineering Department (located about 50 feet north of present office complex). In Agricultural Extension Service Annual Report:
1938 Agricultural Engineering appears in College of Agriculture listings. Graduate courses listed (Research, Special Problems). RURAL ENGINEERING GROUP [forerunner of Agricultural Mechanization curriculum]. Agricultural Extension Service publications
1939 Department faculty listed in The University of Tennessee Agricultural Experiment Station - Bulletin No. 170: M. A. Sharp, Agri. Engr.; H. A. Arnold, Asst. Agri. Engr.; J. C. Cole, Oil Processor; Brantford Elliott, Asst. in Agri. Engr.; J. E. Jones, Asst. Engr.; A. L. Kennedy, Asst. Agri. Engr.; J. F. Leahy, Assoc. Engr.; R. A. Southerland, Asst. Chemist; R. Brooks Taylor, Industrial Engr. Using WPA labor, construction began on the "New" Agricultural Engineering Building. 1940 ASAE Student Branch report in Agricultural Engineering Journal. Graduating students only listed in Announcements. 1941 "New" Agricultural Engineering Building completed. Article in Agricultural Engineering Journal: A Simple Dynometer, M. A. Sharp. Department and Tennessee Section hosted ASAE National Annual Meeting. 1942 Harold A. Arnold and Marlay A. Sharp developed a new castor bean huller that could speed up production of castor oil, needed as a lubricant for aircraft engines, hydraulic brakes, shock absorbers, and other mechanisms. This discovery aided America and her allies during World War II. Agricultural Experiment Station Bulletin No. 179, A New Castor-Bean Sheller by H. A. Arnold and M. A. Sharp gave published results of this research. 1946 Machinery Building, one story frame structure, located about 50 feet northeast of present office complex, constructed from dismantled World War II military building. 1947 101 students in Agricultural Engineering. 1948 TVA constructed Quonset Building (at southeast corner of current parking lot 67) and leased it to the University for three years, after which the University gained ownership of the building and equipment for Agricultural Engineering research only. 1950 Mechanized Agriculture replaced Rural Engineering. 1951 Faculty: Marlay A. Sharp, Head; H. A. Arnold; A. L. Kennedy; J. B. Liljedahl; E. J. Matthews; A. H. Morgan; W. C. Wheeler James L. Butler, Willis E. Huston, and Herbert D. Sullivan awarded M.S. Degree in Agricultural Engineering. 1957 Dr. C. W. Bockhop, Head of Department. Teaching and research faculty: H. A. Arnold, D. O. Baxter, E. K. Boyce, A. L. Kennedy, A. H. Morgan, M. A. Sharp (India program), C. H. Shelton, R. B. Stone (USDA). Extension faculty: M. T. Gowder, M. H. Falkner, E. B. Hale, D. H. Luttrell. Hayri Berberoglu of Turkey awarded M.S. Degree in Mechanized Agriculture. 1958 John M. Johnson, Leader of Agricultural Engineering Extension. 1959 Marlay A. Sharp Memorial Student Loan Fund established. 1960 Dr. James H. Anderson, Head of Department. 1962 Dr. John J. McDow, Head of Department. 1964 B.S. Degree in Agricultural Engineering accredited by the Engineers' Council for Professional Development. 1965 Department heavily involved with Second National Grassland Field Day and Conference at the Middle Tennessee Experiment Station. 1967 Ph.D. Degree in Agricultural Engineering authorized. 1968 Dr. Houston Luttrell, Leader of Agricultural Engineering Extension. Mechanized Agriculture curriculum changed to Agricultural Mechanization. 197x The department's first computer, an Electronics Associates, Inc., TR-20 analog computer, purchased for $3500.00. 1972 Ph.D. Degree awarded to Rex D. Haren. The first direct departmental access to digital computers provided by a leased teletype terminal and telephone modem located in the Agricultural Engineering Building. This slow (110 baud) system permitted direct access to a UTCC computer for programming, data input, and printed output. This marked the beginning of computer use in undergraduate teaching activities of the department. 1973 Dr. Houston Luttrell, Head of Department. 1977 Deedie Bise first woman to be awarded B.S. Degree in Agricultural Engineering. ASAE Student Branch made a "clean sweep" of awards at the annual Engineers' Day competition among student clubs from all engineering disciplines. Deedie Bise and Doyle Luttrell won first place in the undergraduate or small group competition. Joel Walker and Fletcher Armstrong placed first in the graduate or large group competition. These exhibits, with three other Student Branch displays, earned the overall Winner's Trophy for the Department. 1979 Offices and classrooms moved to "Old" Agricultural Engineering Building, Morgan Hall, Fiber Lab and Spinning Lab to prepare for new building construction. The department purchased its first digital computer, a Charles River Data Systems MF 11/2, for $8500. Lawrence D. Gaultney, first son of a UT Agricultural Engineering Department alumnus (William L. Gaultney, BSAE 1949) received BSAE. 1980 Quonset and Machinery Buildings razed to make space for new Classroom/Laboratory Building. A second digital computer, a DEC PDP 11/03, purchased. It became the heart of an agricultural tractor instrumentation system. 1981 Work completed on new Classroom/Laboratory Building and renovation of Office Building for a total area of 70,000 square feet. 1982 "Old" Agricultural Engineering Building razed. College of Agriculture Microcomputer Laboratory established in Room 270, Agricultural Engineering Laboratory Building. 1983 The College of Agriculture Microcomputer Teaching Laboratory established in a classroom of the Agricultural Engineering Laboratory Building. It was initially equipped with seven IBM personal computers. A word processing system (dedicated computer) purchased ($12,000) for use by all four secretaries in the department. 1984 Department and Tennessee Section ASAE hosted National Annual Meeting. A database of departmental alumni started. 1985 Three secretaries in the department provided with IBM/XT computers for word processing and other secretarial activities. These have since been upgraded or replaced such that each secretary now has a computer for exclusive use. 1986 All faculty offices provided with personal computers, IBM PC or PC/XT, and direct access from the PC's to the UTCC computer systems. These units, with many capabilities not available on the Original Charles River system, cost about $2500 each. Continued additions, improvements, and upgrades have been made since that time. 1988 The transition to semesters resulted in major changes to all academic programs. In addition, the Agricultural Mechanization undergraduate program was dropped and the graduate program was renamed Agricultural Engineering Technology. 1989 The College of Agriculture Microcomputer Laboratory received special equipment funds for a major upgrade. It was also moved from Room 270 to Room 276, Agricultural Engineering Classroom/Laboratory Building. 1991 Dr. Fred D. Tompkins was appointed Department Head. A list of the department's faculty and staff in 1991 is here. 1995 Dr. C. Roland Mote was appointed Department Head. 1998 The department's name was changed to Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering to reflect the broader scope of our work. 1999 Dr. Luther Wilhelm was appointed interim head of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering when Roland Mote was appointed Assistant Dean of The Agricultural Experiment Station. 2000 Dr. Ronald Yoder was appointed Department Head. 2001 The department's name was changed to Biosystems Engineering & Environmental Science to reflect the addition of about a dozen soil and climatology faculty and staff from the former Plant and Soil Science Department. Construction was begun adjacent to the laboratory/classroom building on a bridge to link the Agricultural campus with the Main campus, and on the new Biotech building across the street. 2002 The second floor and basement of the office building were substantially remodeled to provide additional office space to allow faculty to move over from Ellington hall. Extensive changes were also made to rooms along the central hall in the laboratory/classroom building. Construction was finished on the bridge. 2004 Dr. D. Raj Raman was appointed interim Department Head. 2005 The department's name was changed to Biosystems Engineering & Soil Science to better reflect the primary disciplines represented in the department. Dr. John I. "Ike" Sewell was appointed interim Department Head. 2006 Dr. George F. Grandle was appointed interim Department Head. 2008 Dr. Eric C. Drumm was appointed Department Head. |
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